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Christian faith thus expresses this truth: "I believe
in Jesus Christ who will come to judge the living and
the dead." The symbol of St. Athanasius makes this
doctrine more precise: At the coming of the Savior
all men will rise with their bodies and will render
an account of all their acts. Councils [131] teach a
general resurrection, after which Christ will judge
all men, on what they have thought, desired, said,
done, and omitted, and will then give to each
according to his works. Let us see what Scripture
says on this point, and how theology explains this
doctrine.
Scripture
Many peoples have transmitted to us their belief in a
supreme justice, which will manifest itself by
sanctions beyond the tomb. This conviction shows the
necessity of an individual retribution, and
prescribes the individual judgment which must
determine this retribution. But, besides this
individual judgment we find, even in pagan religions,
the conviction of a judgment that is to be final and
universal. [132]
The first books of the Old Testament, although they
manifest profound faith in the justice of God,
nevertheless speak only obscurely of sanctions beyond
the grave. [133] Yet even in the Old Testament we
find affirmations like the following: "For all these
God will bring thee into judgment." [134]
The prophets offer us a more precise announcement of
this last and eternal judgment. Isaias, speaking of
the eternal restoration of Israel, with "the new
heavens and the new earth," says in the name of the
Lord: "All flesh shall come to adore before My face."
[135] He goes on to announce to the wicked their
eternal chastisement. Daniel speaks still more
clearly: "Many of those that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall awake, some unto life everlasting, and
others unto reproach, to see it always." [136] Joel
[137] writes: "I will gather together all nations and
will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat
[138] and I will plead with them there."
The Book of Wisdom [139] speaks in this same fashion.
After describing the punishments reserved for the
wicked after death, it says: "But the just shall live
forever more, and their reward is with the Lord."
[140] 10 In the Second Book of Machabees the seven
brothers, martyrs, speak thus to their judge: "The
King of the world will raise us up . . . in the
resurrection of eternal life . . . but thou by the
judgment of God shall receive just punishment for thy
pride." [141]
In the New Testament the universal judgment is often
announced by Jesus. [142] "Woe to thee, Corozain! Woe
to thee, Bethsaida! . . . I say unto you, it shall be
more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of
judgment than for you." [143] "The men of Ninive
shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall
condemn it, because they did penance at the preaching
of Jonas, and behold a greater than Jonas here."
[144]
This universal judgment is presented as the work of
Christ, above all in the great discourse on the end
of the world, as preserved by the three Evangelists.
[145] "When the Son of man comes in His glory and all
His angels with Him, then shall He sit on the seat of
His majesty. And all nations shall be gathered
together before Him, and He shall separate them one
from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep
from the goats." [146] Jesus, speaking of His
passion, says to the high priest: "Hereafter you
shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of
the power of God and coming in the clouds of heaven."
[147] In St. John's Gospel [148] we read: "He that
despiseth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that
judgeth him. The word that I have spoken, the same
shall judge him in the last days." "Everyone who . .
. believeth in Me . . . hath everlasting life; and I
will raise him up in the last day." [149] "The hour
cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that have done
good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of
life; but they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of judgment." [150]
In the Acts of the Apostles St. Peter says: "Jesus
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify
that it is He who was appointed by God to be judge of
the living and of the dead." [151] St. Paul writes to
the Corinthians: "For we must all be manifested
before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may
receive the proper things of the body, according as
he hath done, whether it be good or evil." [152]
Elsewhere [153] he speaks very clearly of the general
resurrection and of the last judgment. "The enemy,
death, shall be destroyed last.... Then the Son also
Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things
under Him, that God may be all in all." [154] "There
is no respect of persons with God. . . . (This will
be made apparent) in the day when God shall judge the
secrets of men by Jesus Christ." [155] St. John says
in the Apocalypse: "And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing in the presence of the throne. And
the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged
by those things which were written in the books,
according to their works." [156]
The Fathers, both Latin and Greek, not only teach
this dogma explicitly, but most vividly describe the
last judgment. Let it suffice to cite St. Augustine:
"No one denies, or puts in doubt, that Jesus Christ,
as the Scriptures have announced, will pronounce the
last judgment." [157]
The circumstances of this universal judgment are the
following: the judge will be Jesus in His humanity,
because His merits have opened the gates of heaven
for us. The subject matter of this judgment will be
the life of each one, his thoughts, his words, his
deeds, his omissions, the good and the evil which he
has done. The time of this judgment is certain, but
only God knows it, [158] although He has given in the
Scriptures certain signs of its approach. [159]
"Nation shall rise against nation . . . and there
shall be earthquakes in divers places and famines....
And unto all nations the gospel must first be
preached.... And you shall be hated by all men for My
name's sake," said Jesus to His disciples. "In those
days shall be such tribulations as were not from the
beginning of the creation which God created.... There
will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and
they shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it
were possible, even the elect. Take you heed
therefore; behold, I have foretold you all things....
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory.... Watch and pray;
for you know not when the time is." St. Paul [160]
adds: "Let no man deceive you, . . . for unless there
come a revolt first, and the man of sin (the
Antichrist) be revealed (the judgment shall not take
place)." [161]
St. Peter [162] writes: "The heavens being on fire
shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
the burning heat. But we look for new heavens and a
new earth [163] according to His (the Lord's)
promise, in which justice dwelleth." St. Paul says:
"The creature waiteth . . . in hope, because the
creature also itself shall be delivered from the
servitude of corruption, into the liberty of the
glory of the children of God." [164] The Apocalypse
[165] announces the renovation of the world where
once lived fallen humanity. The world will then be
freed from all stain, and will be re-established by
God in a state equal to, even superior to, that in
which it had been created. The heavenly
Jerusalem here spoken of is the triumphant Church,
the society of saints, established in eternal life
after the glorious coming of its Spouse. "God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall
be no more; nor mourning nor crying nor sorrow shall
be any more, for the former things are passed away."
[166]
Reasons for the Last Judgment
St. Thomas [167] explains these reasons. First, dead
men live in the memory of men on earth and are often
judged contrary to truth. Spirits, strong and false,
like Spinoza, Kant, and Hegel, are judged as if they
were great philosophers. False prophets and
heresiarchs, such as Luther and Calvin, are
considered by many to be masters of religious
thought, whereas great saints and doctors are
profoundly ignored.
Judgment Day will show how much value is to be
assigned to certain histories of philosophies, to
many studies on the origins of Christianity, written
in a spirit absolutely rationalistic. It will show
how their perpetual variations and contradictions
come from their fundamental error, the negation of
the supernatural. It will manifest all lying
propaganda. It will unmask hypocrites who enslaved
religion instead of serving religion. Universal
history will no longer be seen as a mere horizontal
line of time, passing from the past to the future,
but as a vertical line which attaches each event to
the unique moment of an immovable eternity. The
secrets of the hearts will be revealed. [168] The
Pharisees, Caiphas, Pilate, will be judged
definitively. Truth will conquer all these lies. It
is clear that, if God exists, truth must be the
absolutely last word.
Further, the dead have had imitators, in good or in
evil. Evil is easier to imitate. Truth and justice
must be vindicated. "Blessed are they who hunger and
thirst after justice, for they shall have their
fill."
Lastly, the effects of men's actions last long after
their death. Arius and other heresiarchs troubled
souls for some centuries, whereas, on the contrary,
the teaching of the apostles will exercise its
influence to
the end of the world. Only a final and infallible
judgment of God is here sufficient, and this cannot
take place until the end of time.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent [169] says in
substance: Divine justice wills that the good recover
their reputation, often attacked by the wicked who
triumph. Further, the body, as well as the soul, must
receive the punishment or the reward which it merits.
Hence the general judgment must follow the general
resurrection. This judgment will oblige all men to
render homage to the justice of God and to His
providence. Finally, it is fitting that this judgment
be carried on by Jesus Christ, because He is the Son
of man, because men are to be judged, and because He
Himself was unjustly judged by wicked judges.
The day of judgment is known by God alone, because
the end of the world depends simply on the free will
of God. But it will not come until the number of the
elect is complete, and this number cannot be known
except by Him who predestines. [170]
The apostles will judge with Christ, as Jesus
announced; also those who are voluntarily poor, who
have left everything to follow Christ. "He that shall
humble himself shall be exalted.... He hath put down
the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the
humble."
The Proud and the Humble
The author of The Imitation writes: "By what strange
forgetfulness do you go forward without looking ahead
to the day of judgment? Earth can be a grand and
salutary purgatory. Look at the patient man who, more
afflicted by the malice of others than by his own
injury, prays sincerely for them who sadden him and
pardons them from the bottom of his heart.... Better
to purify oneself than to wait unto the next
world.... Then every vice will have its own proper
torment. Then the humble will have great confidence,
and the proud man will be surprised. Then we shall
see how wise was he in this world who learned to be
despised for Jesus Christ. Then there will be
applause for tribulation suffered with patience. Then
the scorn of riches will have greater weight than all
the treasures of the earth. Good works will outweigh
beautiful words. All is vanity except to love God and
to serve Him. He who loves God with all his heart
fears neither death nor judgment nor hell, because
perfect love gives us secure access to God." [171]
The Imitation continues: "We must consider the secret
judgments of God, lest we be proud of what we have
done. Let your peace not depend on the judgments of
men. Humbly commend everything to God, who alone
knows all. Reverence the secret judgments of God. Ye
that are humble, rejoice; ye that are poor, dance
with joy, because the kingdom of God is for you."
[172]
Blessed those who, like Bernadette of Lourdes, hear
this word: "I promise you happiness, not in this
life, but in the next." This was a special
revelation. She was predestined, but she would have
great crosses on earth. All genuine Christian lives
are marked with the cross. Crosses well borne are a
sign of predestination, says St. Thomas. A rain of
afflictions is better than a rain of diamonds. This
truth we shall see clearly after death. [173]
Providence will then appear absolutely irreproachable
in all its ways.
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| 131. |
Denz. nos. 54, 86, 87, 429, 693. |
| 132. |
Dict. theol. cath., "Judgement". |
| 133. |
The reason for this is that the Old Testament is
subordinated to the New, that is, to the coming of
the
Savior, whereas the New Testament is immediately
subordinated to eternal life. Hence the New Testament
often speaks much more explicitly than the Old
Testament. |
| 134. |
Eccles. 1l:9. |
| 135. |
Isa. 66:15-24. |
| 136. |
Dan. 12:1,2. |
| 137. |
Joel 3:2. |
| 138. |
This denomination is symbolic. The word "Josaphat"
means "Jahve is Judge." The word can be applied to
any
place where God chooses to execute the general
judgment. |
| 139. |
Wisd. 5:15. (Second century before Christ). |
| 140. |
Ibid. 6:6 and 15:8. |
| 141. |
II Mach. 7:9, 36. |
| 142. |
Matt. 11:21, 23. |
| 143. |
Ibid., 12:41. |
| 144. |
Luke 10:12-14; 11:31.32; Matt. 16:27. |
| 145. |
Matt. 25:31-46. |
| 146. |
Ibid., 25:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 21:27. |
| 147. |
Matt. 26:64. |
| 148. |
John 12:48. |
| 149. |
Ibid., 6:40-44; 40:44, 55. |
| 150. |
Ibid., 11:25; 5:29. |
| 151. |
Acts 10:43. |
| 152. |
II Cor. 5:10. |
| 153. |
I Cor. 15:26. |
| 154. |
Rom. 2:11-16. |
| 155. |
Ibid., 14:12; II Cor. 11:15; II Tim 4:14. |
| 156. |
Apoc. 20:12. |
| 157. |
De civitate Dei, Bk. XX, chap. 20, no. 33. |
| 158. |
Mark 13:32. |
| 159. |
Ibid., 13:7-33. |
| 160. |
II Thess. 2:3. |
| 161. |
The apostasy of which St. Paul speaks is that
referred to by St. Matthew, 24:11, 13,:2-25, by St.
Luke, l8:8 and 2l:28. It is the apostasy of peoples
after charity has become cold. |
| 162. |
II Pet. 3 :12. |
| 163. |
Isa. 65:17. |
| 164. |
Rom. 8:19. |
| 165. |
Apoc. 21:1. |
| 166. |
Supplementum, q.91, De qualitate mundi post
iudicium. |
| 167. |
IIIa, q.59, a.5; Supplementum, q.88, a.1 ad 1; a,
3; q.91, a.2. |
| 168. |
Luke 2:35. |
| 169. |
Catechism, First Part, chap. 8. |
| 170. |
Supplementum, q.91, a.2. |
| 171. |
Bk. 1, chap. 24. |
| 172. |
Ibid., Bk. III, chap. 14. |
| 173. |
We may note that peoples who are Christians and
Catholic often undergo sacrifice, as for instance,
Poland. It seems that for many of these children the
Savior has said: "I have promised thee happiness, not
in this life, but in the other life." |
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